Batting for Quilts..
 

What is the best batting to use and the easiest??? I am a new quilter ... I know some of the older quilters will know....

I prefer anything from Quilter's Dream. The kind of batting depends on the way it will be quilted and used. For example: a baby quilt will be washed a lot--I prefer a poly or poly blend for these (or the Dream Angel, which is flame-retardant). Poly has no memory, so it is good for wall quilts or quilts that will be folded up then re-hung. Good old-fashioned cotton is great if you want 'snuggly'.

Hand quilting? Then, you will want to choose a poly (lo-loft) or a wool batting. These are easier to needle.

There are so many things to consider when choosing your batting. Remember to read the package of the batting you are using for instructions on laundering and how densely your quilt needs to be quilted for optimum results.

I always used the cheapest bagged batting I could find until I heard about Warm and Natural. I will never go back. The consistency alone is worth the price. Since it is not cheap, I wait for a cupon and buy enough yardage to last me for several quilts. That being said, I will still make my beach/camping quilts with poly. They get abused and washed beyond reason.

I have always used thin poly unless requested otherwise by a customer. I am repairing my own bed quilt (30+ years of hard use) and am amazed at how well the poly batting has held up.

I use Hobbs 80/20 and really like the weight, way it washes and softness. Here is a link to a discussion about batting.
http://www.quiltersbee.com/qbfabtip.htm. If you machine quilt and use battng with skrim then you only have to quilt less than 8" apart.

I like Warm and Natural or Hobbs 80/20. But I prefer cotton as I like the weight for sleeping. If its for warmth and light weight then I use poly. Wool is also a fabulous choice... but my wallet can't hande using it for everything.

The batting I'm useing is Quilters Dream poly. I can't say, I've used anything much different. I do alot of hand quilting, and to hand quilt a quilt, with this batting seems to okay with me.

I agree w/ the "it depends on the project" theory. I only hand quilt and mostly use Quilters Dream Request - a light weight 100% batting. I don't like poly battings because I do want a little bit of resistance on my needle going thru the batting - it allows me to get my needle positioned where i want it.

I have used Warm & Natural, but became a Quilters Dream convert.

each individual project deserves it's own consideration-when choosing batting-just like when choosing fabric & pattern- there are many many wonderful batts on the market to choose from-there is no (ALWAYS USE THIS ONE)---
i may use 5 or 6 different batts in any given month- and everyone has their favorites.
I love wool batting- but it's on the expensive side & i generally use it for pretty special gift quilts (like wedding gifts)
poly batts hold up well for lots of use/laundered alot/ utility quilts---great choice for kids quilts
cotton batts add that (crumply) old fashioned look to quilts when they are laundered-
some batts need to be quilted every 2" (best suited for quite dense machine or hand quilting) some batts allow up to 10" between quilting lines (like warm & natural- which works well for even tied quilts- very difficult to hand quilt though)
the best way to start is READ THE PACKAGING -- choose a batting that sounds like what you need-is priced reasonably in your budget- and try it out- then next quilt- try out something else you find on sale- or someone recommends---after a bit with some experience (and experimentation) you will decide what you like/don't like in a batt- and what works best FOR YOU---just rememeber if you buy a thin cotton batting that needs to be quilted every 2"- and you do very little quilting-leave large unquilted areas- when it is laundered the batting will pull apart- ball up & leave you with areas with no batting-other areas with gobs of batting-
it is important to follow the recommended quilting requirements. beyond that the sky is the limit
my fav's---any batt from the dream company--ie: dream poly, dream green, dream orient, dream wool, ...the list goes on-
after that---most of the Hobb's batts- heirloom, 80/20, wool
i pretty much never use Warm & natural (except when that is what customers bring in for their quilts- it does have it's 'followers' who never use anything else)
but there are many to try out & choose from- in every price range-from ridiculously expensive to dirt cheap...
watch sales & try out batts- it is a wonderful world :)

A good discussion ... I'd also be interested in knowing more about bamboo ... I saw it in a store and thought it was so cuddly and inviting, au naturel! :) The clerks really knew nothing about it (jobber store, not an LQS)

So please do tell ..... bamboo, pros and cons!

Warm & Natural, Hobbs products, Quilter's Dream products these seem to be the most popular. if you like a puffy looking quilt than poly would be your best bet, wool if you are looking for warmth, cotton breathes better than poly

Thanks for the info ... pricewise, it was comparable to W+N. Both were on the giant rolls, being sold by the yard/metre.

An earlier thread here (sometime ago? discussed the environmental issues, though at that time I seem to recall the discussion heading in the direction that it was just as environmentally friendly as all others.

For those that have used bamboo ...
* how does it handle?
* machine? or hand quilting?
* loft?
* drapability?
* shrinkage?
* are there different qualities? blends? etc.

I had a friend use bamboo batting and it shrunk horribly.....Don't know what other's experiences have been...

Forget where you are in this province, though if you're ever near a Len's Mill Outlet, they have it by the yard ... or at least had it when I spotted it and became intrigued.

I am going to use it sometime ... just want to learn what I can, and make the best choice as to the when!

Another project I want to do are a series of placemats using Slash the Stash method. So each will have the same fabrics, just scrambled around. And then my plan is to use a different batting for each, labelling it as such. Quilting, to be an assortment of styles, types and spacings. I figure that's as close to duplication as I can get ... and then can compare the results with continued washings.

The only problem is ... I don't like using placemats!! So I keep putting this off.
The alternative I have considered is to join them as one quilt ... though with different shrinkages, etc. I hesitate to do that!

Ha! no little ones ... no kids, no grands.

Each Lens has it's own feel to it. Which will you be going to?

I love Warm and Natural...cool in the summer and warm in the winter...My parents were so surprise how warm it was this morning...they used it all summer and thought because it was so thin it would not be warm enough, to their surprise it was perfect for all seasons. I used muslim on theirs for the backing so I also was surprised it was enough.

The Woodstock one opened a couple years ago and when I was in it this summer, it was the best Lens I've been in ... neat, tidy, spacious. Guelph is good, but can be very messy and all over the place. The Ladies in Woodstock seem to care a little more and I chance to guess that more of them are sewers than in Guelph. Even one of our posters here on the QB works in Woodstock. Waterloo is a different feel, very crowded, but kind of a fun place. London is huge and incredibly well organized too. Haven;t been to the others for awhile. I know Guelph was re-organizing this summer some, though I don't think they are keeping up with it, even with that being done.

There's some men stuff there ... but the real attraction I would expect would be for you! Of course, what would I know, I'm not looking for guy things! :) Be sure to check their site before you go, as sometimes there are some good $ $aving coupons online.

And if you do come to Guelph, let me know and perhaps we can rendez-vous!
Good Luck!

The best batting ? Quilters Dream is now probably the best batting. But they have a large selection. They offer three different thickness in each type of batting. They make cotton, poly, wool, dream angel, (a fire proof batting). The easiest, would depending on what you are doing and the out come you want. You can choose bonded batting or needled batting also called needled punched. Most all cotton batting is needled. Most polyester, but not all, is bonded. Needled or boned is the different methods of putting the fibers into a batting. See www.batt-mart.com for a wide selection.

I use Warm and Natural for quilts and wearable art. I will use thick, fluffy poly only if I want a wall hanging with parts of it standing out.
Bamboo is expensive or I would switch and use it for everything. I love the warmth, feel and it is environmently(sp?) friendly.

I love bamboo also. The feel is so soft, the quilt drapes beautifully, etc. I try tofind the bamboo/cottn blend on sale. I also have a bamboo/cotton fabric on bolts from Joann's. It too is soft and drapeable and silky feeling.

As to the environmental issue, it is probably no more nor less friendly, than manufacturing poly (chemical product) or spraying cotton for pests.

I like Warm and Natural.

Quilter's Dream "Dream Orient" is the most wonderful batting containing a blend of bamboo, organic tencel (eucalyptus ), silk and cotton. It drapes beautifully, washes well, warm in winter and cool in summer.

I so agree with you. Warm and Natural is lightweight but still very warm, easy to work with and yes, the coupon saves the day! And you can always be sure that the quilt will turn out without any lumps or bumps with W&N! It's the only way to go! IMHO! Edie

For quilts that will get a lot of wear and washing (kids, babies, college bound, nursing home etc.) nothing beats Hobbs Polydown. It's the batting our guild uses for all of our community quilts. It washes and wears well, unrolls evenly with no thick or thin spots, is 108" wide, hand quilts or machine quilts beautifully and is just easy to work with. Best of all the price in Canada works out to about $5 a yard if you buy the entire 30 yard roll. I love this batting!

I agree with 117becca. If you are handquilting the QD Request is wonderful. I'm going to try the QD wool on my next quilt because I've heard it's as good if not better than the QD Request.

One of the most important things about batting IMHO is how much it will shrink. My first quilt shrunk 6 inches. When I read what was on the batting package, in teeny, tiny print and at the very bottom of the bag, it stated that the batting would shrink between 4 and 6 inches. What that means is that it will shrink 6 inches. The quilt no longer fit my bed. From that point on, I only buy batting that is prepackaged. (you never know for sure about a big ole' roll of the stuff) and I look for 1% or 2% shrinkage. You can prewash batting but it is messy and a pain.

I have just used a cotton bamboo 50/50 mix for a baby quilt. It was so wonderfully soft and easy to work with, and make a lovely quilt. I hope it holds up like the package said it would!

I use a variety. THe gent that I send my quilts to to get quilted encourages us to use poly when using a dark back as it can be poked through and that may not be the effect you want.

I tried the new one from Pellon and found it to be my batting of choice now. I do prewash.

My question on bamboo being environmental friendly is, what is the difference between bamboo and cotton? Both are renewable resources. My understanding is bamboo takes a harsher chemical process to break down the wood fibers. Personally, I'm wondering if it is more an advertising gimmick?

I love Warm and Natural for quilts, but if I am going a wall hanging, I use Thermore. It's a poly batting, that has a weird feel to it, but it quilts perfectly flat and no more waves in my wall hangings, which makes me very happy!

I second Quilter's Dream is my favorite to quilt with, but I have been known to buy rolls of Warm-n-Natural and Warm-n-White at Joann's with a 50% off coupon! With batting almost $500 for a 40 yard roll, that 50% off really speaks to me!!! Too bad Joann's doesn't carry Quilter's Dream!!! Since I longarm quilt as a profession, I need to have quite a bit of batting on hand, so the outlay can get hefty! I know that Quilter's Dream will send you a sample of all their batting so you can choose what is right for your project - or you could probably pick up a sample at a large quilt show - great place to see and feel everything (just don't touch the quilts in the show!).

Jane, you are right that while bamboo is renewable and at a very fast pace compared to cotton, the process used to turn bamboo into cloth/batting is, from everything I have read, not environmentally friendly. While I definitely would not describe myself as a tree-hugger, I don't deliberately set out to destroy the environment, that would not discourage me from using bamboo batting. Cost is what gets me! I quilted a customer quilt using her silk/bamboo batting and really love the hand of the batting and how it quilted...just way above my budget!

If you are looking for environmentally friendly batting, I do not think that at this time bamboo is the best choice - probably wool would be the most environmentally friendly!

I always use wool batting. I love the warmth and thickness of wool. Cotton, to me, is so thin and doesn't warm you. Wool, on the other hand, can keep you toasty warm all by itself. So, I always buy wool batting. Always.

I'm glad you had a good experience with the Pellon batting but mine was the opposite - I don't prewash and it shed terribly. Decided it was better to pay a little more for Warm and Natural. Have started using Hobbs 80/20 as well after reading about it here - great for baby quilts!

I agree, I think it is soft you can wrap it around you and it is toasty warm and it does not weigh a ton.
Just my opinon. I just think a quilt shoud be able to be picked up and taken into your chair if you can't sleep in bed and wrap yourself in your nice warm light quilt. Just Saying!